Diapering Your Growing Baby

Baby’s diapering needs change through the years, from moving up in diaper sizes to how many diapers your little one needs as they grow.

To help you prepare, we've gathered a few fast facts on what to expect as you move from diapering a baby to diapering a toddler.

You’ll Need Fewer Diapers

You'll be a lot busier changing diapers when your child is a newborn than when they're a toddler, says Tanya R. Altmann, MD, California pediatrician, and author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers. While both babies and toddlers tend to urinate frequently, a toddler may poop as little as once a day.

"With an infant we usually say you'll need five or ten diapers a day," Altmann tells WebMD, "but with a toddler, several daily is often enough."

There’s Less Diaper Rash

Fortunately, by the time your little one is a toddler, diaper rash is usually a thing of the past. There are two reasons for that.

First, a toddler's skin is usually less sensitive than a newborn's, so they're generally less bothered by dampness against their bottom. Second, toddlers just don't experience dampness against their bottom as often, says Altmann. "They’re standing upright and moving around, so toddlers are generally in less close contact with their diaper than a baby is."

If your baby or toddler does get diaper rash, however, the treatment tips are generally the same for both:

• Try changing your little one's diaper more often, but leave their bottom bare for as long as possible before putting on a new diaper
• Make sure your little one's diaper isn’t too snug
• Use alcohol- and perfume-free wipes when cleaning your child, so you don't upset their already irritated skin
• Cover your little one's skin with a diaper rash treatment. For infants, slather on a thicker ointment or cream. For a toddler, a thinner lotion may be fine.

?

You Can Use a Wider Range of Baby Skin Care Products

Because newborns and babies have sensitive skin, it's always a good idea to steer clear of products like baby wipes, lotions, and soaps with alcohol, perfumes, or dyes.

But as your child goes from baby to toddler, their skin usually becomes less sensitive. So while you may need a special baby skin care regime for your newborn, chances are good you can use the same skin care products with your toddler that you use with the rest of the family.

You'll Change Diaper Sizes Less Often

Newborns and babies grow out of diapers more quickly than toddlers. Though you'll go up in diaper sizes as your little one grows, "you’ll often find in the toddler years that they'll be wearing the same size diaper for a longer time because they're just not growing as fast," says Altmann.

If you're using disposable diapers and find your toddler's diaper is leaking often, that's a good sign they're ready to move on to the next size.

Does it seem that diapering your toddler is just as much work as diapering your baby? That's not really a surprise. It turns out a wiggly baby may grow into a wiggly toddler.

"One of the big issues I hear about is that toddlers don't want to stay still for diaper changes," Altmann tells WebMD. To keep your wiggly one still, pediatricians and parents suggest:

• Be novel. Try finding a special toy for your child to hold onto while you change them, but bring that toy out only during diaper changes.
• Get your child to help. Give your little one his or her own diaper or clean pants to hold while you change them.
• Sneak in. If your toddler's busy, don't interrupt their play. Just sneak in and change their diaper while their attention is diverted. You can even change a diaper while they're standing up.

If safety is your main worry, it may be simpler to change your little on a towel or blanket on the floor. "It's easier for me to get my toddler to stay still when they're on the ground," says Altmann, a mom of two boys. "Basically, you’ll just have to get a little creative."

Diapers Don't Have to Be a Big Part of Potty Training

Your little one is probably ready for potty training by the time they're one and a half to two years old -- well into their toddler years.

And while you may think training diapers, also called pull-ups, need to be a big part of potty training, that's not necessarily true. "Really, a pull up diaper and a regular diaper are the same thing," says Altmann.

Though moms and dads may see pull-ups as a big transitional step, they're still just a diaper in a toddler's mind. "It’s just a different way that the diaper goes on and off, but the diaper itself still absorbs everything," says Altmann.

That absorbency is part of the problem when trying to potty train. Children don't really feel it when they've wet a pull-up diaper or a regular disposable. And it's that feeling of wetness that can help a toddler begin associating the urge to go with going in a potty.

That's why some parents go right to underwear to help them potty train their toddler. Yes, there may be more messes at first, but many parents say it helps them reach their potty training goals faster.

In the end, some kids may potty train fast, others more slowly. Some may grow out of wiggly diaper changes, others won't. How your child develops and changes will be as unique as they are. The important part, of course, is to enjoy the journey!